


Cold Shoulder

by floatingpetals



Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel) - All Media Types
Genre: Established Relationship, F/M, Mission Almost Gone Wrong, Steve gets angry
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-04
Updated: 2018-12-04
Packaged: 2019-09-06 17:24:41
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,825
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16837090
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/floatingpetals/pseuds/floatingpetals
Summary: Requested story. The reader does what she thinks is best, even though it goes against Steve's orders. He doesn't appreciate and resorts to a childish behavior.





	Cold Shoulder

A boom rattled the walls and windows, causing the three sitting in the living room to jump and pivot in the direction of the noise. Bucky, Wanda, and Sam twisted around, tense at the loud footsteps that headed towards them, at the ready for whatever was to come. Coming around the corner, Steve charged into the room. His lips were pulled tight, the rage rolling off of him in waves. The three relaxed only enough knowing the threat wasn’t an intruder. Their eyes followed Steve as he crossed through the room, shooting each other worried glances.

“Uh, Steve. You okay?” Bucky cautiously asked, knowing that when Steve was in this mood he could snap at any time. Steve ignored his question with a glare over his shoulder and left the room, leaving behind the left over simmering rage. The three had little time to say anything on what just happened before Y/N came through the opposite end. She still wore her combat gear, dirt, and grime covering her from head to toe. She looked frazzled, eyes darting around the room.

“Whoa, Y/N what happened?” Sam quickly stood and moved to wipe the blood smeared on her cheek. Wanda went to stand, a frown pulling on her lips at the tattered sight of Y/N. Y/N waved Sam off, nudging him away.

“I’m fine. Have you seen Steve?”

“You mean the Ticking-Time-Bomb? He just walked out.” Bucky replied. “I don’t know what happened. But he’s pissed.”

Y/N let out a noise of distress and pushed past Sam. Once more the three were left behind, their brains rushing to figure out what the hell just happened, while Y/N chased after Steve.

“Steve wait!” Y/N called, struggling to catch up with him as she limped down the hall. Steve didn’t stop, ignoring her pleas. Giving one more attempt, she sucked in air and let out a shrill shout. “Steve!”

Steve halted, his shoulder tense as he inhaled a breath. Slowly turning to face her, Steve’s eyes were void of any emotion. Y/N faltered at his lack of feelings, her face falling.

“What do you want, Agent?” Authoritative and impersonal. He was using his Captain’s voice on her. His girlfriend of nine months became nothing in an instant.

“Steve, what did I do?” Y/N begged, her stomach dropping when nothing changed. He was silent for a moment as he considered her question before his eyes narrowed. Crossing the short distance, he squared his shoulders with his hands in fists at his side.

“What you did, Agent, was directly disobey my orders and nearly killed yourself in the process.”

“What-but I-.“ Steve cut her off, his anger boiling to the surface again.

“No! You disobeyed my order and got hurt because of it.” He looked her over, the rational part of his brain seeing she still hadn’t gone into the infirmary. “Go to the infirmary. You’ve also been taken off active duty until further notice.”

“Wait- what?” Y/N exclaimed, but Steve had already turned away and headed towards his room. He left her standing there in the empty hall, his door slamming shut and the lock sliding into place echoing through the hall. Y/N flinched at the bang and deflated. Giving up on trying to talk with Steve, she turned back to the living room to head to the infirmity. She would handle him later.

* * *

Later never came for Y/N. All week he had been giving her the cold shoulder, especially after he learned she had two broken ribs and torn muscles in her leg. She could do nothing to convince him to stop and talk. He would either turn away from her, or simply get up and leave. She even tried to corner him in his office, but he spun the chair around and refused to look her way. The first time he ignored her, it was devastating. After the third time he walked off, it stung less. The tenth time, Y/N was done. Now it turned into her yelling at him every time he would close her off. That would get her a minor tick from him. He would want to retaliate but bit his tongue. And Y/N wasn’t having any of that. Currently, the group stood around the kitchen getting ready for the morning, and Y/N was seething in her seat.

Steve was across the room, a coffee cup in hand while he talked quietly to Bucky. Bucky occasionally glanced her way, shooting her an apologetic look before he turned back to Steve. She had already tried saying good morning to him, even getting him his cup of morning coffee ready for him before he came in. But he made a show of turning his nose up at her gesture and made his own out of spite. And that caused her to see red. Now she sat on a bar stool, her knee bouncing as she glared at his profile.

“Well as much as I enjoy palpable tension first thing in the morning, I’m going to go ahead and leave.” Tony sighed into his coffee mug. Like Y/N, everyone was getting tired of Steve’s immaturity. They were just too chicken to say anything.

“We wouldn’t have any tension if someone learned how to listen,” Steve muttered under his breath. There was a slam of ceramic against the granite, and all eyes snapped to Y/N. The coffee mug she had been drinking from lay shattered on counter, the coffee spilling over on to the floor.

“Alright Rogers, I’ve had it!” Y/N spat across the table. At least Steve had the audacity to look shocked. “You’ve been an insufferable prick all week and I’m done with putting up with it!”

Steve opened his mouth to counter, his anger showing but was forced to dodge a flying mug instead.

“Shut up! I can’t believe your immaturity and hypocrisy!” Y/N snarled, nearly vaulting over the counter to get to him. The others in the room were a mix of fear and fascination. This was a fight they did and didn’t want to be a part of, never having seen either of them raise their voices at the other. There was really no way to escape the room, forcing them to stand frozen on spot to watch how this all when down.

“Excuse you?!”

“You heard me! All week you’ve treated me like I’m nothing more than the dirt you walk on! That’s not how you treat anyone, let alone your girlfriend!” Y/N snarled, jumping off the stool to move around the counter. Steve stood taller, setting his jaw as she advanced while Bucky slipped off to the side. “You act like I committed murder when all I did was what was necessary for my job! So what?! I got hurt! It comes with the job. But while we’re on the topic of people getting hurt, let’s go ahead and talk about you!” 

“Me?” Steve had the audacity to sound indignant. Y/N scoffed and crossed her arms against her chest.

“Yes, you! Since we’re so hung up about me and my apparent stupidity, why don’t we discuss how you used your body as a battering ram, and slammed into the support wall. Not to mention you then threw yourself in the line of fire, without your shield might I add.” Tears started to form in the corner of her eyes, her voice quivering at the end of her sentence. Sucking in air, Y/N steeled herself to continue. “You’re so hung up about me getting hurt, you never stopped to think what I thought about you getting hurt!”

The tone in the room shifted, and the group of on lookers quickly caught the signal that this was not something they needed to be present for. Quietly and quickly, they slipped out as best they could. Steve and Y/N paid them little attention, both in their own world.

Steve’s heart stopped at her words. He watched as Y/N, the woman he was quickly learning he loved, was slowly breaking down in front of him. All because of how poorly he handled things.

“You do all those things in the field, and I’m expected to be okay with it because you’re a super soldier. Steve, you’re enhanced, not indestructible. I worry about you all the time, whether we’re together, or separate. And the one time I do something reckless, it’s like I committed a crime.” Y/N hugged herself, trying to keep herself from crying. “I’m sorry if I upset you, but what you’re doing to me is far worse than any of the injuries I got from the mission.”

Stunned, Steve felt all the rage in him crumble away and left behind the small uncertain young man. All his actions from the past week came rushing back to him, and he felt his world stop. How stupid was he? Thinking back on it all, he realized incredibly. Crossing the distance between them with a curse, he wrapped his arms around her and pulled her in tight. Y/N melted into his arms, sobbing into his chest as he curled his body around her.

“God, Y/N. I’m so sorry. I didn’t- I’m-.” Steve chocked, his own tears starting to form as he struggled to speak. He tried to find the right words-no excuses he thought. Shoulders slumping in sorrow, he knew nothing he would say could make it better. “I’m so sorry.”

The two stood in each other’s arms, Y/N sobs slowing until muffled sniffles. Steve said nothing else, rubbing small soothing circles on her back until she began to pull away. Starting again, he pressed a kiss against her temple as he whispered soft apologies into her hair.

“I am. I’m so sorry. I was an idiot, and I let my fear of losing you get the best of me.” Y/N sniffed, nodding for him to continue. “I saw you run back in and I just lost it. All I could think about was you dying, and never being able to see you again. I was so selfish, I completely overreacted.”

Y/N listened to his words carefully, knowing it wasn’t the end of things, but happy it was a start. To a degree, she could understand his word for her safety. But he was right, he completely overreacted. Turning to look up into his pleading baby blues, Y/N knew she couldn’t hold this against him long.

“Look we both made mistakes, some more than others.” She raised a brow as he flushed. “We need to talk to each other when one of us does things we don’t like. Not close ourselves off. I don’t want you to worry about me, and you don’t want me to worry about you. From now on, talk. Agreed?”

Nodding, Steve reached back to hold her close, humming in content.

“Agreed.”


End file.
